Ecie & Esme III: Forever and a Day

Four

'I am so tired,' Esme sighed rolling over with the covers pulled over her head. 'I want to go back to sleep.'

'Just quit your job,' Taylor yawned tiredly. 'You've hardly got any energy left for anything. You need all your rest and you can't keep skipping classes; they'll kick you out.'

Esme yawned as she poked her head out of the covers and looked at Taylor. 'You know I need this job.'

'I know that you're stubborn as hell,' he replied looking at her. 'You're not going to listen to anything I say.'

Esme threw her covers over Taylor's head then slowly got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom.

'I'm just saying,' Taylor said kicking the covers off him and following Esme. 'You're tired and exhausted. You finish work at one in the morning then you come home at two, what kind of a life is that?'

'Mom said this would happen,' Esme replied brushing her teeth. 'She said that we had to work hard for what we wanted. I've got to put up with this because I need the money.'

'I was offering you a job,' Taylor said leaning on the door frame. 'You could have worked in the store.'

Esme looked back at Taylor and laughed before spitting. 'Now tell me who's stubborn as hell?'

'I'm being serious,' Taylor chuckled. 'I don't like you working so late.'

'Oh god Taylor,' Esme laughed. 'We're like a stupid married couple.'

Taylor rolled his eyes. 'Are you going to be late?'

'I don't think so,' she shook her head. She washed her face then went into the shower. 'I'm sorry that you have to stay here so often. You should stay at your place.'

'You should stay at my place,' Taylor said looking down at his feet as he crossed them over.

'What are you asking me Taylor?' Esme said over the hot shower. 'Are you trying to ask me to move in with you?'

'No,' Taylor replied. 'I'm just saying that you should stay at my place more often.'

Esme rubbed shower gel over her body then rinsed. 'You know I can't,' she replied. 'I've got school and I've got work. I'm not going to drive for half an hour after work just to stay at your place then wake up at six just so that I can make my lesson on time.'

'So quit your job,' Taylor said. 'Tell Caleb or whatever that you don't want to work there anymore.'

'Taylor,' Esme said calmly. 'I'm not going to quit my job because you tell me to. I need the money and it just so happens that they pay really well. The customers are really nice and I've made some new friends. I like working there. I don't care what you say, but you're not going to make me choose.'

'I'm not making you choose,' Taylor said.

'Well then this conversation has no purpose,' Esme replied opening the shower door and tightening her fluffy towel around her. 'I need to get ready for school.'

She walked past Taylor and into the bedroom where she started looking for something to wear.

'I'll see you later,' Esme kissed Taylor on the lips as they stood in the parking lot of the Remington building.

'Yeah,' Taylor said. 'We're hanging out on Redondo tonight if you can make it. You should bring Lauren with you.'

'Why?' Esme asked.

'The guys,' Taylor sighed. 'I don't know, I think they like her or something.'

'She's not a piece of meat,' Esme said opening her ruby black metallic BMW 650i convertible door, and putting her bag in. 'I don't want your friends fondling over her or anything.'

'I'm just passing on a message,' Taylor said. 'I'll tell them.'

'She wouldn't want me to say this, but I feel that I have to,' Esme said looking at Taylor. 'She's never been with a guy before. I don't want her first time to be with a complete loser; I think she'd prefer it to be with someone she cared at about.'

'Don't worry Ecie, I'll make sure they don't,' Taylor said.

Esme looked at Taylor.

'I won't tell them,' Taylor said. 'But I'll stress that they should not try and hook up with her.'

'Thank you,' Esme kissed Taylor on the lips then got into her car. 'I don't appreciate you calling me Ecie whenever I'm trying to be serious.'

'Okay Ecie,' Taylor laughed closing the car door. He bent down and kissed Esme on the lips. 'Go and learn lots of stuff today.'